The present invention relates to an eaves trough or gutter assembly and more particularly, relates to improvements in such structures.
The use of shields for gutters or eaves troughs are well known in the prior art and there have been many proposals for different types of shields. The purpose of the shield is essentially to permit the passage of rainwater from the roof to the gutter or eaves trough while protecting the same from extraneous foreign matter such as leaves, twigs, and the like.
To-date, there have been several different approaches which have been taken in the prior art. A first approach is utilizing a shield or guard which is apertured and permits passage of rainwater while attempting to bar the passage of extraneous matter. However, many of these guards do not function as desired and access must still be had to the eaves trough for cleaning purposes.
It has also been proposed in the art, in order to overcome the above disadvantages, to provide relatively complex structures such as those wherein the eaves troughs or gutters are mounted for rotatable movement so that they may be emptied at desired intervals.
A different approach which has been taken is utilizing a design wherein a cover has an outer edge which curls downwardly and the water flow follows a curved portion due to surface tension and thereafter cascades into the eaves trough. While this type of structure has been found to work under certain conditions, when the volume of water becomes sufficiently large, the surface tension is insufficient to cause all the water to flow into the gutter.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel gutter guard which is designed to be used with certain types of round bottom eaves troughs.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel eaves trough and gutter guide which eliminates the need for conventional attachment of the gutter using long nails and the like.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for protecting a gutter wherein the gutter has a rear wall, a front wall and a bottom wall, the walls defining a trough having an open top therebetween, the gutter also having a generally C-shaped portion extending from an upper marginal edge of the front wall and an inwardly extending flange from a distal end of the generally C-shaped portion, the generally C-shaped portion and flange defining a recess therebetween, the device comprising a guard member having an elongated configuration with a generally planar central portion, first and second longitudinally extending opposed sides located on either side of the generally planar central portion, a plurality of apertures extending through the generally planar central portion, the first side of the guard member having an upwardly extending portion designed to fit within the recess, and the second side of the guard member having an upwardly extending wall designed to abut the rear wall of the gutter.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an improvement in a building having a gutter for collecting water, the improvement wherein the gutter has an arcuate bottom wall, a rear upper wall merging therewith, and a front upper wall merging with the bottom wall, a generally C-shaped portion extending from an upper marginal edge of the front wall and an inwardly extending flange from a distal end of the generally C-shaped portion, the generally C-shaped portion and flange defining a recess therebetween; a guard member having an elongated configuration with a generally planar central portion, first and second longitudinally extending opposed sides located on either side of the generally central planar portion, a plurality of apertures extending through the generally planar central portion, the first side of the guard member having an upwardly extending portion designed to fit within the recess, and the second side of the guard member having an upwardly extending wall abutting the rear wall of the gutter, the gutter being attached by fastening means extending through the upwardly extending wall from the second side of the gutter member and the rear wall of the gutter.
The device of the present invention may be formed of any suitable material and could conveniently be formed of either a metallic or plastic material. In a preferred embodiment, the gutter and the guard will both be formed of an aluminum material as is well known in the art. However, it is within the scope of the present invention for one to use other materials and they may either be similar or dissimilar.
As previously mentioned, the device of the present invention prevents foreign matter from entering into the eaves trough. In order to do so, there are provided a plurality of apertures to permit the passage of rainwater and to prevent extraneous matter from entering the gutter or eaves trough. In general, it is desirable that appropriate sizing of the apertures be provided to accomplish the same. Naturally, the sizing can be changed according to the location where the gutters are installed.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the apertures will extend in diagonal rows at an angle of 45xc2x0 with respect to the gutter length. Preferably, the apertures will have a size of between 2.5 and 10 mm and even more preferably between about 3.0 and 4.0 mm. As the apertures are arranged in diagonal rows, they are also preferably arranged in longitudinally extending rows. In a longitudinally extending row, the apertures are spaced apart by a distance of between 10 and 15 mm while in a diagonal row, they are spaced apart by a distance of between 5 and 10 mm.
As will be appreciated, during periods of heavy rain or the like, the drainage may not be instantaneous and accordingly, there is provided a vertically extending wall adjacent the front wall of the gutter to act as a dam or barrier to prevent overflow.
An advantage of the gutter of the present invention is that the gutter can be directly attached to the building structure through the rear wall of the gutter and an adjacent upwardly extending side wall of the guard member. In one embodiment, the second side of the guard member could terminate with a single upwardly extending wall which will abut the rear wall of the gutter. The gutter and device may then be fastened by a suitable member such as a screw or nail through the two walls directly to the structure. Alternatively, the guard member can have an inverted U-shaped configuration which will fit over the rear wall of the gutter prior to attachment.